Which one's pink?

In my social context, there is a stereotype about music taste. If you know and like Pink Floyd - you've got good taste, you are smart one. There is a comedy movie, where this topic is discussed. A guy in his forties talks to friends about the bad music which all young generation like. He insists it's not a real thing, but Pink Floyd is. How close it to truth?

When I was 18, I loved Pink Floyd, at least what they created between 1972 and 1979 + one album in 1994. Of course, it was about The Wall (I even had a DVD with it). Now I understand it was the right music for the right period of life - inner feeling of rebellion, not being like all others. Lots of hidden anger at society. Pink Floyd was my way to deal with it. But I don't think I really understood it. Neither do I think I understand them now.

I'll give you a couple of examples since this music is not just what you feel while listening. Feelings are super important, but Pink Floyd demands from listener to work hard and understand the lyrics and the context. The most obvious, understandable ,and beloved song for me was... Have a cigar. Welcome here dear boy, have a cigar, you gonna go far. You gonna fly high, you gonna make it if you try, they gonna love you.... your band is just fantastic, this is really what I think. Oh, by the way, which one's Pink. It's just about the music production industry, and how cruel and greedy it might be.

Another straightforward thing - Wish You Were Here. No more thoughts or words are required here... I think so at least. How Gilmour plays it... There are not enough words in this world to describe how much love and devotion is in this performance. Simple song, but so deep and touching.

Another brick in the wall also doesn't build curly metaphors of something complicated. You are young and smart, they are old and stupid, you don't want to be a brick in their wall. As simple as that. The rest is how it feels when you listen. It's about all the chills racing down your spine, and how familiar this melody is from the first notes. It's about a shared vision of certain things in life. Probably these factors defined why this song was remixed and covered so many times.

But most of the other songs are so... contextually deep. Shine on your crazy diamond is about the band's ex-member who had huge drug problems and even during periods of rehabilitation there was no previous spark in his eyes. Never again. It's impossible to understand without knowing musicians or reading interviews with them. Just how? There are not enough words in this song, even though it's 10+ minutes long.

High Hopes - I guess it's a self-reflection on how the band started and what it became. Or simply about how the grass was greener years ago. I don't really know. What I know is when I heard its intro for the first time I had tears in my eyes. It starts with a hammer hitting a heavy bell. The piano comes in and plays chords in the same beat as the bell. Bell ringing slowly fades into the background, and a bass guitar comes in, bringing the volume, feeling air with vibration and words. The very first notes give me a picture of the old village in the morning, the sun is about to rise, but not yet. The Church bell rings and calls people. Morning mist is all around, filling the space between wet green grass and the tops of the hills. But it's just a memory, you are not there anymore, you cannot touch it, cannot feel the wetness of grass with your bare feet anymore. Aching melancholy overwhelms you.

To be honest, there are another ten songs in this album - The Division Bell - recorded in 1994, but I don't really remember them. Even though I loved to listen to it as a whole piece. There are lots of themes and social problems touched on in other songs, which is probably just too much for me.

This story started to be bigger than I expected. But there are lots of other good songs. Very different ones. Pink Floyd is a fundamental piece of the musical experience of humanity. They always tried to make a point and wrap it into the music. Good music. Complex music. Every single song they ever recorded and played in public is a piece of art. As with every piece of art, it might require a bit of explanation and background.